


Like A Wilting Lily

by thatchoirperson



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, F/M, Giselle AU, This is actually a very specific au, and it works ok, but I’m proud, yup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-06-17 23:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15472500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatchoirperson/pseuds/thatchoirperson
Summary: This is a *takes deep breath* Canon Newsies Era Genderswapped Jatherine Giselle AU. With Kath as Albrecht and Jack as Giselle. And the newsies as the Wilis, ft Davey Jacobs as Myrta.





	1. Chapter 1

Mid-morning Manhattan. Hectic as usual. The July heat was interrupted periodically by a cool breeze.  
Jack Kelly paced alone at the edge of the neighborhood, waiting. His bag hung at his side, still filled with newspapers despite the busy morning.  
A whisper came from behind him. “Jack!”  
He turned abruptly, sighing in relief when he saw Katherine standing closer to him than he’d thought, her hair meticulously curled and her blouse freshly pressed. Jack pulled his hand away with a smile as she reached hers out to grab it, letting their fingers brush momentarily  
Rather, he set his hands on her waist lightly and pulled her closer, relishing how she reached over his shoulder to pull his head down for a kiss.  
It had been going on for a few weeks now, this little affair, or whatever it was. Jack’s heart fluttered every time he thought about Katherine, and their daily encounter, per se, was an adventure in and of itself. She always smelled very faintly of lavender and vanilla - generic yet expensive perfumes.  
It was almost like a dance, how they went about these dates. Subtly, tiptoeing around the city as if on eggshells. Darting like mice from abandoned street to abandoned street, playing games of hard-to-get before giving up on the charade. Jack found it hard to imagine himself ending up with her, as he was only seventeen, but he couldn’t help but feel he’d become smitten.  
He pulled away from the kiss, leaving Katherine with a seductive smirk on her face. “Kath.”  
“What?” Her voice was pure. Still innocent despite the obvious lust it carried. Angelic, even. Perfect.  
Jack exhaled and shook his head as a grin spread across his face. “I- never mind. It’s nothing.”  
This time when she grabbed for his hand, he let her, letting her pull him into a nearby alley. He blushed when Katherine pressed him up against the wall, ghosting her lips over his neck and jaw so lightly that they might not have even been there at all. He breathed deeply, running his fingers through her soft, chestnut-colored hair as she made her way back to his lips.  
They never went farther than kissing. Ever.  
Instead, Jack spent their limited time together each day memorizing her face, her hair, the way his hands perfectly sat on her hips just below her tiny waist; he could almost span it with his hands if he stretched his fingers enough. How the hems of her skirts and petticoats brushed his ankles when she moved. How each curve of her torso flowed effortlessly into the next in an almost otherworldly, sculpturesque fashion. How the slight pressure of her fingertips resting on his chest caused fireworks to explode inside him, making it impossible to think or speak coherently.  
She was perfect. And Jack was so lucky.  
All too quickly, though, twelve o’clock passed. This time, it was Katherine who pulled away.  
“Tomorrow?” Jack breathed, his voice quiet and wistful and desperate. He bit his lip, his face getting hot again, clinging to Katherine’s fingers as if his life depended on it. On her. Maybe it did.  
She nodded quickly, as usual, rising up onto her toes for one final peck before disappearing around the corner with a swish of her skirts.  
Jack inhaled deeply before collapsing against the brick wall, his whole body limp, like a marionette with cut strings, closing his eyes in a desperate effort to relive the last hour for as long as he could before it faded.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack paced again in his usual spot. Waiting for Katherine. Suspense nearly killing him.   
She was almost otherworldly. A goddess. How he’d managed to catch the attention of and fall in love with someone so perfect, so gorgeous, he couldn’t understand. Every curve, every part of her face, everything about her was incomparable to anyone else.   
Where the hell was she?  
“Kelly!” Jack whipped his head around at the sound of his name. Kath never called him that.   
“Spot.” He exhaled sharply. “What-”  
Spot stood in front of him as he normally did, with a wide, confident stance, but his facial expression seemed… unusually concerned. “There’s somethin’ you should know. And you ain’t gonna like it.”  
“What’re you talkin’ about?” Jack snapped, almost whispering.   
Spot took a breath. “That girl you’s been sneakin’ off with every day.”  
“Katherine? What about her?” Oh god, something must have happened to her-  
“She’s cheatin’ on you, Kelly.”  
Jack paused for a second, and his jaw dropped before he began to laugh against his better judgement. “You gotta be jokin’.”   
Spot’s face didn’t change, stoic as always. He just shook his head slowly. Jack’s lips parted to respond before he thought better of it, and the two stood in silence for a few seconds. Unbearably deafening silence.   
“Who with?”  
“William Hearst.” The corner of Spot’s mouth turned up slightly at Jack’s shocked expression. “...Junior. They’s been engaged for years.” Spot looked at the ground, then back at Jack. “‘S probably better you knew.”  
Jack felt as if he’d collapse. Dizzy. Speechless. How could she?  
“Thank you, Spot.”   
“I’m sorry, Kelly.” Spot was using the same voice he used with the younger kids to calm them down. Maybe it was comforting to them, but to Jack it just sounded condescending. It wasn’t like he’d just had a bad selling day. His heart was breaking into a million pieces.   
Jack watched wordlessly as Spot left. Should he wait until Katherine got there? What would happen if he just… left?  
His thoughts flew around his brain, leaving segmented fragments of ideas he couldn’t quite complete.   
How could she cheat?   
Jack blinked, and a few tears fell down his face. He stepped back until he could support himself against the wall of the building behind him before his knees gave out. He realized he’d been holding his breath.   
What the fuck?   
“I thought she cared about me.” Jack didn’t realize he had spoken out loud until the words had left his lips. God, he felt so pathetic.   
Footsteps.   
“Jack?” Katherine’s familiar voice, once angelic, now painful, startled him out of his trance. “Jack, what’s wrong?”   
He didn’t respond.   
She knelt next to him, uncomfortably close.   
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jack’s voice was quiet, shaking slightly as he spoke.   
“What?”  
“Don’t act all innocent with me. I know you’re engaged.” Clearer now. Louder. “Jesus, Kath, did you think I wouldn’t’a found out eventually?”  
Katherine blinked for an uncomfortably long time, squeezing her eyes shut but saying nothing.   
“What the hell were you thinkin’, Katherine?”  
“I don’t know, okay?” Her voice rose an octave when she defended herself. “I didn’t mean-”  
“What? To hurt me?” Jack’s chest heaved as he tried to breathe deeply. “Well, guess what? I’m pretty damn hurt.”  
Katherine just shook her head. “I’m sorry.”  
“That you cheated? Or that I found out?”  
A long pause. Katherine leaned over to kiss Jack’s forehead. Her lips lingered longer than necessary.   
“Don’t-“  
“I have to go.” She stood up, dusting off her skirt before standing straight. “I’m sorry, Jack.”  
The nerve of that bitch. Jack turned his head and scoffed as Katherine slowly walked away. He sat for hours, his face buried in his hands while he sobbed.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun had set before Jack started running.   
By the time he reached the rooftop of the lodging house, Jack’s chest was heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. He leaned heavily on the railing and stared down over Manhattan through wistful tears. Everything around him blurred. His head spun rapidly, his mind an unending spiral of half-finished thoughts.   
Jack squeezed his eyes shut in a pitiful effort to forget.   
Engaged. Fuck. How? Why? A million questions swarmed Jack’s mind while he attempted to make sense of everything.   
Engaged. To William Hearst Junior, to make everything much, much worse.   
Jack looked down to discover that his white-knuckled hands were suffocating the railing. Gingerly, he lifted one, and the soreness began to set in.   
Engaged.   
Love.   
But-  
She’d said she loved him countless times. Maybe it had meant something then. But now?  
Hugging his knees, he struggled to keep himself from throwing up.   
Lying, cheating bitch.   
Words flew through Jack’s head. His stomach turned as he sobbed yet again. What had he done to deserve this? What could he possibly have done?  
He turned and sank to the floor, his back still pressed up against the railing.   
Perfection.   
Beauty.   
Lies.   
Deception.   
His breathing became quicker, shallower as his chest tightened. Paralyzed, Jack blinked feverishly as tears streamed down his face and landed on his shirt and pants.   
He could still feel the ghost of her lips on his. Yesterday was simpler. Happier. Now Jack could feel the memories pulling at his heartstrings and snapping them one by one.   
Love.   
What did she mean when she’d said it?   
He slowly moved his hand to his face, wiping off a few tears. His face was soaking wet, and they just kept coming. Jack screamed voicelessly.   
Silence.   
The ever-busy city disappeared to white noise that filled Jack’s ears and closed in on him, compressing his chest and lungs until he couldn’t breathe again.   
After a few minutes, he found he could move. Just wiggling a finger, or a toe inside his shoe. He concentrated on his hands making contact with the roof, grounding him to reality.   
Reality.   
What was real anymore? What else was just a lie Jack had foolishly believed?   
His senses overwhelmed, he inhaled deeply before letting out every last bit of air in his lungs.   
He could run away. Go west. Never think about her again. Surely that was the only option. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing her again if she was on the arm of the man she really loved. Her betrothed.   
Santa Fe.   
God, how he wished he could escape. The thought of the city now, while Katherine was here, made him claustrophobic.   
His tears stopped, though his sobs continued until he was left gagging.   
Love.   
He couldn’t bring himself to hate her. Not completely. Was that love? Or just his childish mind wanting, needing to hang on?  
They had no chance of being together. They never did.   
Love.   
Could he ever forgive her?  
No. Maybe?  
They never stood a chance.   
Still, Jack had the urge to run back to her, to apologize to her even though he’d done nothing wrong. To see her again. To hold her delicate hand or kiss her gorgeous lips one more time. Deep down, though, Jack knew it would never be the same innocent affair it once was. He wouldn’t be able to shake his manufactured image of Katherine and Bill from his mind.   
It was no use. She was gone. It wasn’t fair.  
“They say you never forget your first love.” Davey’s voice, smooth and sweet as honey, pierced through the thick silence of the city. He appeared at the top of the staircase, stepping onto the roof with an air of awkward sophistication. Jack sat in silence, staring through red, bloodshot eyes as Davey glided toward him, knowing that if he tried to speak it wouldn’t work. His eyelashes were sticky with tears and his vision was blurred, as if his eyes were coated in a thick film. Davey went on without prompting. “Spot Conlon told me.”  
“Told- told you what?” Jack rasped before clearing his throat. How much did Davey know?  
“I’m sorry, Jack.”  
Jack didn’t catch much of the rest of what Davey said. He focused on grounding himself, fixing his eyes on Davey’s face, on his increasingly infuriated expression.   
Trust.  
Friendship.  
Brotherhood.  
He blinked, squeezing his eyes as tightly as he could for a few seconds before breathing deeply and straightening each of his legs one by one as Davey placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.   
Jack stood up after an excruciatingly long pause, and the two walked back downstairs side by side.


End file.
